Уральский социально-экономический институт (филиал)
Образовательного учреждения профсоюзов
Высшего профессионального образования
«Академия труда и социальных отношений»
Кафедра иностранных языков
TRADE UNIONS
ПРОФСОЮЗЫ
Сборник учебно-методических материалов
Челябинск
2012
Trade Unions. Профсоюзы: сборник учебно-методических материалов / сост. Н.В. Маврина; УрСЭИ (филиал) ОУП ВПО «АТиСО». – 2-е изд., перераб. – Челябинск, 2012. – 40 с.
Сборник учебно-методических материалов включает тексты по теме «Профсоюзы», упражнения для развития навыков чтения и перевода, а также профессионально ориентированных речевых умений.
Предназначен студентам очной формы обучения всех направлений бакалавриата для аудиторной и самостоятельной работы.
Составитель |
Маврина Н.В., канд. пед. наук, доцент, заведующий кафедрой иностранных языков УрСЭИ
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Рецензент |
Кислицына С.В., канд. филол. наук, доцент кафедры иностранных языков УрСЭИ |
Рекомендовано к изданию учебно-методическим советом
УрСЭИ (филиал) ОУП ВПО «АТиСО»
© Уральский социально-экономический институт (филиал) Образовательного учреждения профсоюзов высшего профессионального образования
«Академия труда и социальных отношений», 2012
©
Маврина
Н.В., 2012
Предисловие
Сборник учебно-методических материалов «Trade Unions. Профсоюзы» предназначен студентам очной формы обучения всех направлений бакалавриата, изучающим английский язык. Он является тематическим дополнением к учебнику «World of Work. Мир труда» (авторы: Н.Н. Колесникова, Г.В. Данилова, Л.Н. Девяткина, Л.В. Гарузова; М.: АТиСО, 2000). Основной целью учебно-методических материалов является развитие умений и навыков различных видов чтения и перевода, а также профессионально ориентированной устной речи.
Сборник состоит из двух разделов. В первом представлены учебные тексты следующей тематики: «Что такое профсоюз», «Типы профсоюзов в Великобритании», «Структура профсоюза», «Цели и функции профсоюзов», «Могущество профсоюзов», «Конгресс британских профсоюзов». Тексты сопровождаются упражнениями для проверки понимания прочитанного, активизации лексики по изучаемой теме, развития умений прямого и обратного перевода, а также навыков устной речи. К некоторым упражнениям даны ключи, что позволит использовать учебно-методические материалы для самостоятельной работы студентов.
Второй раздел сборника включает статьи из англоязычных периодических изданий и отрывок из книги, освещающие современное состояние и проблемы профсоюзного движения в Великобритании и США. Они способствуют развитию навыков ознакомительного и изучающего чтения и могут служить основой для устных сообщений, дискуссий, сочинений и т.д.
С целью облегчить студентам работу над текстами в сборник включен глоссарий, который содержит ключевые термины и выражения по теме «Профсоюзы».
Во втором, переработанном издании добавлен текст «Что такое профсоюз», расширен глоссарий, обновлена информация о Британском конгрессе профсоюзов и ФНПР. Полностью обновлен раздел текстов для дополнительного чтения.
PART I
Unit 1
WHAT IS A TRADE UNION
1. Read and translate the text.
A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English) is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members (rank and file members) and negotiates labour contracts (collective bargaining) with employers. This may include the negotiation of wages, work rules, complaint procedures, rules governing hiring, firing and promotion of workers, benefits, workplace safety and policies. The agreements negotiated by the union leaders are binding on the rank and file members and the employer and in some cases on other non-member workers.
Originating in Europe, trade unions became popular in many countries during the Industrial Revolution, when the lack of skill necessary to perform most jobs shifted employment bargaining power almost completely to the employers’ side, causing many workers to be mistreated and underpaid. Trade union organizations may be composed of individual workers, professionals, past workers, or the unemployed. The most common, but by no means only, purpose of these organizations is maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment.
Over the last three hundred years, trade unions’ goals have developed into a number of forms such as more money, less hours, and better conditions, influenced by differing political objectives. Activities of trade unions vary, but may include:
Provision of benefits to members. Early trade unions often provided a range of benefits to insure members against unemployment, ill health, old age and funeral expenses. In many developed countries, these functions have been assumed by the state; however, the provision of professional training, legal advice and representation for members is still an important benefit of trade union membership.
Collective bargaining. Where trade unions are able to operate openly and are recognized by employers, they may negotiate with employers over wages and working conditions.
Industrial action. Trade unions may enforce strikes or resistance to lockouts in furtherance of particular goals.
Political activity. Trade unions may promote legislation favourable to the interests of their members or workers as a whole. To this end they may pursue campaigns, undertake lobbying, or financially support individual candidates or parties (such as the Labour Party in Britain) for public office.
2. Look up the words in bold in Glossary on p. 33 and learn them by heart.
3. There is a wrong word in each sentence. Find and correct it.
A trade union is an organization of workers who want to achieve worse working conditions.
The trade union’s leadership negotiates labour contracts with the employees on behalf of rank and file members.
Trade unions originated in America and soon became popular in many countries during the Industrial Revolution.
Early trade unions often provided a range of benefits to insure members against employment, ill health and old age.
An important benefit of trade union membership is the provision of professional training, illegal advice and representation for members.
Trade unions may promote negotiations favourable to the interests of their members or workers as a whole.
4. Answer the questions.
What is a trade union?
Why did trade unions become popular during the Industrial Revolution?
Who are the members of trade union organisations?
What does the trade union leadership negotiate with the employers?
Who are the negotiated agreements binding on?
What does a trade union provide to its members?
What forms of industrial actions can trade unions enforce?
What legislation may trade unions promote?
5. Using the questions above, speak about the trade union movement.
Unit 2
TYPES OF TRADE UNIONS IN THE UK
1. Read and translate the text.
A trade union is an organisation that employees can join in order to have their interests and goals better represented. Workers will pay an annual subscription and in return will have their interests more powerfully represented than if they had to negotiate with employers on their own.
Traditionally trade unions used to focus their attention on obtaining a good standard of pay for their members but more recently unions are concentrating on protecting the individual rights of their members. This may mean providing legal and financial support and advice for members who feel their employer has discriminated against them or dismissed them unfairly. There are four main types of trade unions as outlined below.
Craft unions. Most craft unions were formed during the 19th century to organize groups of skilled workers within a particular trade or craft, such as engineers or carpenters. Craft unions continue to attract skilled workers who may feel that they have more in common with workers of the same skill, rather than other workers in the same factory. There are two problems associated with craft unions: firstly, wage bargaining becomes complicated when many small unions representing groups of skilled workers are involved; secondly, inter-union disputes concerning relative wage levels, and ‘demarcation’ disputes over the allocation of work between groups of workers, are much more likely to occur. These problems weaken the trade union movement as a whole, and weaken the unions’ bargaining position with management, who are able to play on inter-union rivalry. The major craft unions in Britain are the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers (AUEW) and the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union (EEPTU).
General unions. Many general unions were formed during the late 19th century to organize the semi-skilled and unskilled workers, who could not join the craft unions. General unions do not confine themselves to one craft or industry and are able to recruit large numbers of workers from wide areas of industry; the sheer volume of members can make such unions very powerful. However, the large number of different groups within such unions can be a source of weakness if some workers pursue sectional interests, or if a conflict arises between different groups of workers within the union. The major general unions are the GMB and the Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU).
Industrial unions. Industrial unions attempt to organize the workers in one industry into a single body. This type of union is common in the United States and Germany, and has several advantages. Collective bargaining is simplified as management has a single union to negotiate with. Furthermore, inter-union and demarcation disputes are unlikely to occur, and workers can present a united front to management. The major problem experienced by these unions is that some workers feel that their sectional interests may be submerged within the union, and this may cause disputes within the union, or may discourage workers from joining an industrial union. For example, although the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) sought to represent all railway workers, many drivers are members of the craft-based union Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF).
White collar unions. The first white collar unions were formed at the turn of the 20th century, as employment expanded in the white collar occupations such as teaching, shop work and office work. Traditionally, many white collar workers shunned union membership as they considered that they had more in common with management than the blue collar union members. Added to this, the better pay and working conditions of the white collar workers reduced the need for union representation. Today, however, the white collar unions represent the fastest growing sector within the trade union movement. The improvements in pay and working conditions which have been obtained by the white collar unions, together with the growing insecurity of employment in these occupations, have encouraged many white collar workers to become union members. The largest white collar unions are UNISON and National Union of Teachers (NUT).
2. Write out all the word combinations with the word ‘union’ from the text, translate and memorise them.
3. Find the English equivalents for the following phrases in the text:
1) вести переговоры; 2) переговоры о размере заработной платы; 3) преследовать узко профессиональные интересы; 4) споры между профсоюзами; 5) различные отрасли промышленности; 6) избегать членства в профсоюзе; 7) привлечь квалифицированных рабочих; 8) иметь много общего; 9) единый орган; 10) на рубеже 20 века; 11) профсоюзное движение; 12) переговоры о заключении коллективного договора; 13) ущемлять интересы; 14) распределение работы между работниками; 15) отсутствие гарантированной работы.
4. Use the information from the text to complete the table.
Type of trade union |
Craft unions |
General unions |
Industrial unions |
White collar unions |
First formed |
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Members |
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Advantages |
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Problems |
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Major unions |
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5. Speak about the types of trade unions in the UK using the table you have filled in.
Unit 3
UNION ORGANIZATION
1. Read and translate the text.
Although internal union organization varies from union to union, certain common characteristics do exist in their administrative structures. The following description could broadly apply to most unions.
Members of a union from within a small geographical area form the local unit of the union – the branch. The branch is likely to include workers from several different factories, although very large factories may contain sufficient union members to form a branch. The branches of some unions are based on an individual workplace; in the National Union of Mineworkers, for example, the branch is based on individual collieries. Branch meetings elect delegates to the national conference of the union and discuss local issues. In the larger unions branches also send delegates to regional or area committees, which are groups of branches.
The yearly annual conference is the policy making body of the union, and its decisions determine the path that a union follows. The day to day running of the union is the responsibility of the National Executive, which meets regularly. In some unions the members of the National Executive are elected by the annual conference, in others they are elected by a national ballot or a local ballot if the executive member is to specifically represent an area. Many unions use a combination of the two methods, electing the most senior officers by ballot. The most important member of the National Executive is the General Secretary or President of the union. The General Secretary and other members of the National Executive are normally responsible for national negotiations with employers. They also represent the views and interests of their members to the government and other organizations.
2. Match parts of the word combinations from the text.
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3. Are the sentences true or false? Correct the false ones with the right information.
Though unions’ administrative structures differ, internal union organizations are alike.
A branch is a local unit of the union.
The branch usually includes employees from a wide geographical area.
Branch delegates are elected at the national conference of the union.
Groups of branches can form regional or area committees.
The union follows the path determined by the annual conference.
The union is run by the National Executive.
All members of the National Executive are elected by a local or national ballot.
The General Secretary represents the interests of employers and the government.
4. Speak about the union organization mentioning the responsibilities of the following:
branch (local unit);
regional/area committee;
National Executive;
General Secretary (President);
annual conference.
Unit 4
AIMS AND FUNCTIONS OF TRADE UNIONS
1. Read the text quickly and match the headings to the paragraphs.
1) Collective bargaining |
4) Provision of benefits |
2) Ways to achieve TUs’ aims |
5) Influencing government policy |
3) Main objectives of TUs |
6) Collective agreements |
A ___________________________________
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has distinguished ten main objectives of trade unions. They are:
improved terms of employment;
improved physical environment at work;
full employment and national prosperity;
security of employment and income;
improved social security schemes;
fair shares in national income and wealth;
industrial democracy;
a voice in government;
improved public and social services;
public control and planning of industry.
B ___________________________________
Trade unions attempt to achieve their aims in three ways. Firstly, they engage in direct consultation with management to attempt to improve the wages and conditions of work of their members. Secondly, they act as a pressure group on government, and try to persuade governments of all political parties to pass legislation, and carry out general economic policies which will benefit their members. Thirdly, they provide certain direct benefits for their members, such as unemployment benefit. All these are discussed in more detail below.
C ___________________________________
About three-quarters of employees in the United Kingdom are covered by agreements made between the representatives of workers and employers; the representatives of workers are invariably trade unions. Collective agreements normally cover two areas: firstly, they specify the basic rates pay, hours worked and holidays; secondly, they specify the procedure to be followed to reach agreements, and the procedure to be followed in case of a dispute.
D ___________________________________
The normal procedure is that the union will present its case for improvements in pay and conditions which will include specific proposals. The employers will consider the union’s case and make an offer. The offer may be accepted or rejected, if rejected more talks will follow until the two sides come to an agreement. Occasionally, the two sides fail to reach agreement. In this situation the independent Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) may offer conciliation. When agreement cannot be made through this method, the two parties can refer the claim to arbitration; an arbitrator will be appointed who will prepare a report and award. Although the award is not legally binding, it is usual for the two sides to accept the claim. The two sides may still fail to agree, or may have been unwilling to use ACAS, and in such cases an industrial dispute may occur.
E ___________________________________
Trade unions attempt to influence government policy in two areas. Firstly, they press for specific items of legislation which will improve the working conditions, terms of employment, social security benefits and status of their members. Examples of legislation supported by trade unions for these reasons include the Trade Union and Labour Relations Acts, the Employment Protection Act and the Health and Safety at Work Act. Secondly, trade unions support, and ask for a general economic strategy which will further the interests of the trade union movement as a whole. Trade unions are likely to support the economic policies associated with the Labour Party.
F ___________________________________
The benefits available to union members vary considerably from union to union. Some unions provide benefits in case of illness, accident, death and retirement, others do not even pay a disputes benefit when their members are on official strike. On average unions pay out about 30% of the contributions they receive on benefits.
2. Read the text again and translate it.
3. Find in the text:
a) examples of Passive Infinitives;
b) one sentence containing Complex Object;
c) one sentence containing Complex Subject;
d) one sentence containing ‘for+to+Infinitive’ construction.
4. Answer the questions.
Which of the objectives of trade unions do you consider the most vital? Why?
What is the purpose of trade unions’ direct consultations with management?
What areas do collective agreements normally cover?
What procedure is followed in case of a dispute?
When is a claim referred to arbitration?
In what ways do trade unions try to influence the government?
Whose economic policy do trade unions support?
What kinds of benefits can trade unions pay out?
Where do trade unions get money to pay out benefits?
What do you know about the aims and functions of Russian trade unions?
What are the objectives of your students’ union?
5. Speak about the aims and functions of trade unions using the questions above as the plan.
6. Industrial action is used by workers to put pressure on employers when collective bargaining has been unsuccessful. The most common forms of action which workers can take in the UK are listed below. Match them with their description.
Forms of Industrial Action
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a) They are a complete withdrawal of labour by workers caused by wage disputes. Official ones are supported by the relevant trade union, and workers will normally receive pay. They tend to be fewer in number, but last much longer. Unofficial ones do not have the backing of the union and are often resolved in a short period of time. |
b) It is an attempt by strikers to persuade others at the factory to support either by joining the dispute or by refusing to do the work of those on strike. |
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c) This form of action can be highly effective in those industries where staff shortages exist, and workers are normally relied upon to work overtime. |
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d) In some industries there are a large number of regulations which are usually ignored to ensure the smooth running of the firm. In these situations workers rigidly stick to all the regulations with the result that the organization may be brought to a halt in a very short time. |
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e) It occurs when workers carry out their duties at a slower rate than normal. Like the work to rule this can bring an organization to a standstill. |
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f) Sometimes, other groups of workers support unionists taking strike action, either by striking themselves, or by refusing to deliver goods to the strike-bound factory, or may refuse to work on the products of the firm. |
7. Complete the text with the words and word combinations in the box.
Local Bargaining
Formal bargaining at a national level relating to ___1___ and conditions takes place between the ___2___ and employer. However, ___3___ may vary considerably from area to area and from factory to factory, and thus there is a ___4___ for local bargaining to take place between ___5___ and workers.
Union members usually ___6___ one of their number to act as their ___7___ and he is called the ’___8___’. He is an ___9___ workman and will carry out his ___10___ both during his own time and during normal ___11___, as many employees ___12___ shop stewards a specified number of hours each week ___13___ their duties. It is common for all shop stewards from one factory to have ___14___, even though they may ___15___ workers from different unions, and they usually elect a ___16___ or convenor as he is known, who can then act as the representative of all the ___17___ in a particular factory.
Factory ___18___ between shop stewards and managers deal with such issues as the level of ___19___ payments, the length and ___20___ of breaks, job allocation and other ___21___. Workers often attach more ___22___ to local plant bargaining than to ___23___ agreements.
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Unit 5
THE POWER OF TRADE UNIONS
1. Read and translate the text
The power of trade unions has been gradually eroded over the last 20 years. This is due to a number of reasons:
laws passed by Conservative government during 1980’s and 1990’s which have weakened the power of trade unions,
decline in trade union membership,
change in structure of industry from heavily unionised manufacturing industry towards service sector businesses,
more women and part-time workers who are less inclined to join unions,
change in philosophy from conflicts due to collective bargaining to individual bargaining between firms and employees.
One of the new laws that was introduced stated that employers did not have to recognise any trade union if they did not want to, regardless of how many of their workers belonged to it. This meant that trade unions could play no part in negotiations and could not represent their workers at all. However, in 2000 a new EU Employment Law came into being which stated that an employer must legally recognise and negotiate with a trade union if more than 50% of its workers belong to it.
In practice many firms choose to deal with trade unions as they can benefit not only the employee but also the employer. This is shown below:
Benefits to an employee
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Benefits to an employer
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Trade unions increasingly wish to be seen as working with employers to create a better and more competitive economy and not as organisations that stand in the way of change and increase costs for firms. They believe that both parties have mutual interests. This has led to more and more single union agreements (where an employer agrees to deal with only one union) but in return can often expect a ‘no-strike deal’ from the union (where unions agree never to strike if a dispute cannot be settled).
2. Match pairs of synonyms and translate them. Then cover the right column and try to remember the synonym.
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3. Complete the sentences with a word or word combination from the text.
The authority of trade unions _______ recently.
The structure of industry is changing from manufacturing industry towards _______.
Part-time workers and women are not willing to _______.
An employer has to _______ with a trade union to which more than a half of its workers belong.
When bargaining for pay rises, trade unionists can _______.
Bargaining with one trade union representative is _______ for the employer.
One of the goals of TU’s cooperation with employers is to _______.
4. Answer the questions.
Are trade unions as powerful as they used to be two decades ago?
Is the number of union members growing?
What is the effect of the laws passed by the Conservative government in 80’s and 90’s?
How has the philosophy of bargaining changed?
What does the new EU Employment Law state?
What are the benefits of dealing with trade unions for employers and employees?
What is a ‘no-strike deal’?
5. Retell the text using the questions above as the plan.
Unit 6
THE TRADES UNION CONGRESS
1. Read and translate the text.
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The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is the voice of Britain at work. Formed in 1868, it represents the views and interests of 58 trade unions which are affiliated to it. TUC combined membership now stands at nearly 6.2 million people from all walks of life. The Trades Union Congress: |
brings Britain’s unions together to draw up common policies,
lobbies the Government to implement policies that will benefit people at work,
campaigns on economic and social issues,
represents working people on public bodies,
represents British workers in international bodies, in the European Union and at the UN employment body – the International Labour Organization,
carries out research on employment-related issues,
runs an extensive training and education programme for union representatives,
helps unions develop new services for their members,
helps unions avoid clashes with each other,
builds links with other trade union bodies worldwide.
The policy making body of the TUC is the annual Congress which meets for four days each year during September. Each affiliated union can send delegates to Congress – the larger the union, the more it can send. At Congress ‘motions’ (resolutions for debate) which form the basis of the TUC’s work for the next year are proposed and discussed.
Between Congresses this responsibility lies with the General Council. Its 56 members meet every two months at Congress house to oversee the TUC’s work programme and sanction new policy initiatives. The larger unions are automatically represented on the General Council, with up to ten members depending on the size of the union. The smaller unions ballot for a number of reserved places.
The General Council appoints the Executive Committee for the year from amongst its own members. This meets monthly to implement and develop policy, manage the TUC financial affairs and deal with any urgent business. In the same session, the General Council also elects the TUC President for that Congress year. He or she is responsible for the effective operation of the TUC and for leading implementation of policies set by the annual Congress and the organisation’s General Council. The current General Secretary of TUC is Brendan Barber, who took up the post in 2003.
The TUC’s power is often exaggerated, and contrary to widespread belief it cannot call, nor can it halt any form of industrial action, including a strike. It can interfere in unofficial strikes by making recommendations to the union and employer concerned. In such cases affiliated trade unions are expected to comply with the TUC’s recommendations.
2. Match the English and Russian equivalents. Then cover the left column and try to remember the English equivalent.
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3. What do these numbers refer to in the text?
10 1868 2 6.2m 4 2003 58 56
4. Here are the answers to some questions about the TUC. Write the questions.
In 1868.
That will benefit people at work.
The EU and the ILO.
For union representatives.
Worldwide.
Each year during September.
The size of the union.
The effective operation of the TUC.
In 2003.
To comply with the TUC’s recommendations.
5. Translate the text into English using word combinations from exercises 1 and 2.
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Федерация Независимых Профсоюзов России* образована в 1990 году. ФНПР – самое крупное профсоюзное объединение трудящихся России, включающее 46 общероссийских профсоюзов. В общей сложности ФНПР объединяет около 25 млн. членов профсоюзов. |
ФНПР участвует в разработке проектов федеральных и региональных законов, касающихся социально-трудовой сферы, соблюдения прав профсоюзов и трудящихся. Стратегический курс ФНПР основывается на социальном партнерстве, в основе которого лежит принцип заключения коллективных договоров на предприятиях, отраслевых и региональных трехсторонних соглашений.
В число перспективных задач ФНПР входят:
доведение заработной платы в России до уровня среднеевропейского,
обеспечение занятости трудоспособного населения, безопасных условий труда, достойных пенсий,
соблюдение государственных социальных гарантий,
рост уровня жизни трудящихся и членов их семей.
Высшим органом ФНПР является съезд. В период между съездами деятельностью ФНПР руководит Генеральный совет, заседания которого проводятся не реже двух раз в год. Для оперативного руководства деятельностью Федерации из числа членов Генсовета ФНПР избирается Исполнительный комитет. Председателем Федерации Независимых Профсоюзов России с 1993 года является Михаил Викторович Шмаков.
ФНПР имеет развитую систему профсоюзного образования, включающую. Академию труда и социальных отношений в Москве и Санкт-Петербургский гуманитарный университет профсоюзов, а также их филиалы, работающие во многих регионах России и странах СНГ.
ФНПР активно сотрудничает с Международной организацией труда. Председатель ФНПР является членом Административного Совета МОТ.
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* Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia (FNPR) /www.fnpr.org.ru/
5. Compare the Trades Union Congress and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia. What do they have in common? How do they differ?
PART II. SUPPLEMENTARY READING
‘SIGNIFICANT’ RISE IN NUMBERS OF OVER-50s
IN WORKFORCE
The proportion of workers aged over 50 has risen significantly over the last 20 years, according to a new analysis by the TUC. The report – published to coincide with the release of the latest government unemployment figures – found that the jobs market has changed significantly for older workers since 1992, when 56.5% of people aged between 50 and 64 were in work. By December 2010, 64.9% of the same age group were working, an increase of 8.4%. Over the same period, the proportion of those aged over 64 in the working population rose from 5.5% to 9%.
The TUC general secretary, Brendan Barber, said older people bring a wealth of skills and experience to the workplace. “The increasing number of over-65s in work shows that older workers are highly valued and that the government is absolutely right to scrap the default retirement age,” he said.
But Barber also pointed out the less positive aspect of people working beyond retirement: “Low wages and poor pension provision, particularly in the private sector, mean that many people simply cannot afford to retire at 65. The failure of far too many employers to help staff save for their retirement is forcing these people into pensioner poverty and placing a huge cost burden on the state.”
The TUC report also reveals that young people have become less likely to be in employment over the same period, a fact the organisation attributes partly to the expansion of higher education, while also acknowledging the extent to which young people have been affected by the recession. In April 1992 48.8% of 16 and 17-year-olds were in employment, but that had dropped to around 23.6% by December 2010. Around two in three (65.8%) of 18 to 24-year-olds were working in April 1992, but this had fallen to around 58% by 2010.
“It is a mistake to blame older workers for youth unemployment – they tend not to be doing the jobs young unemployed people might expect to get,” Barber said. “The main reason for young people’s jobs crisis is that there just aren’t enough new jobs that are appropriate for young people being created. And, of course, the more people we have in work overall, the more the economy grows and the more jobs are created. Scrapping education maintenance allowance and hiking university tuition fees will only further reduce the chances of young people – and with inflation rising at over twice the level of earnings, those in work are also finding it hard to make ends meet.”
(The Guardian, July 13, 2011)
Times Topics: LABOR
In the United States, there are more than 150 million people in the labor force, a vast pool of workers that includes autoworkers and investment bankers, teachers and lumberjacks. The American labor force takes many forms: there are the traditional fulltime workers, but as employers have sought to create more flexible work forces, they have relied increasingly on part-time workers, temps and independent contractors. During the recession that ran from late 2007 into 2009, unemployment climbed to more than 15 million, with the jobless rate climbing to 10 percent and remaining above 9 percent throughout 2010.
About 16 million American workers are in labor unions, although the percentage of workers who are unionized has dropped fairly steadily in recent decades. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 12.4 percent of the American work force belonged to a union in 2008, down from 35 percent in the 1950s. The percentage of workers in unions has dropped as companies have closed many unionized operations and moved them overseas and as many employers have grown more sophisticated in beating back unionization efforts. Moreover, as the American work force has grown more prosperous in the decades of World War II, many workers concluded that they did not need a union to represent them.
The main umbrella group representing the nation’s unionized workers is the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (A.F.L.-C.I.O.), a grouping of 56 unions that claims 11 million members. The other main labor group is the Change to Win federation, comprised of seven unions that say they represent more than 5 million workers. The nation’s largest labor union is the National Education Association, with more than 3 million members, and the second largest is the Service Employees International Union, which represents nearly 2 million workers, many of them health-care and building-service workers.
The United States has a web of laws regulating the workplace. In the laissez-faire years of the 19th century and early 20th century, the nation’s workplace laws were quite weak. But with the Great Depression causing widespread unemployment and suffering among workers and with labor unions gathering strength, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal Congress enacted important protections for the nation’s workers. The Fair Labor Standards Act was passed in 1938, setting a nationwide minimum wage and requiring time-and-a-half pay for non-salaried, non-supervisory employees who work more than 40 hours in a week. The National Labor Relations Act, also known as the Wagner Act, was passed in 1936, giving the nation’s private-sector workers a federally protected right to unionize and engage in collective bargaining. As soon as a majority of employees at a workplace vote for a union, the employer is generally required to grant union recognition and work to negotiate a contract. The most important labor legislation enacted since World War II was the Occupational Health and Safety Act, passed in 1970, which created a federal occupational safety agency and created safety requirements for the nation’s employers.
Other labor protections include the Social Security Act, which guarantees minimum monthly payments to millions of retirees and disabled workers, and the Family Medical Leave Act, which guarantees workers up to 12 unpaid weeks off work to take care of themselves of family members in case of illness. The individual states have workers’ compensation laws that assist workers injured on the job by providing them with medical care and indemnity benefits.
(The New York Times, January 4, 2011)
UNILEVER FACES FURTHER STRIKES
Unions push for further stoppages after multinational consumer giant bid to close final salary scheme
Consumer goods company Unilever faces a renewed wave of strikes this month over its decision to close its final salary pension scheme.
Before Christmas, Unilever, which produces goods such as Dove soap, Wall’s ice-cream, PG Tips and Marmite, was hit by the first ever national strike involving its UK operations after revealing plans for a pensions shake-up. The firm, which employs around 7,000 workers, is looking to move 5,000 staff to a less generous career average scheme by the middle of next year. The remainder are already signed up to the new scheme, which was closed to newcomers in 2008.
On Saturday, leaders of the Unite, Usdaw and GMB unions said they would call for a series of strikes from 17 January, claiming new pension arrangements could cut retirement income for staff by 40%.
Jennie Formby, national officer of Unite, said: “It would seem that Unilever believed the workers would give up after one day’s strike but they are badly mistaken. The workforce is angry that the company has refused to meet us or to attend talks at the conciliation service Acas.”
Allan Black, national officer of the GMB said: “Unilever need to get the message that profitable companies will not be allowed to walk away from their savings commitments to their loyal workforce.”
There was uproar when Shell, the last remaining FTSE-100 company with a final salary scheme in Britain, said it was closing it to new members, even though it recorded a surplus in 2010. Shell’s decision is part of a wider trend in Britain where only 19% of final salary and average salary schemes are open to new employees. The era when a majority of British staff in the private sector could be confident of a guaranteed income throughout their retirement is coming to an end.
Workers in the public sector are being asked by the government to pay more and work longer in order to retain benefits that are more reliable than those on offer from private firms. A study by the Association of Consulting Actuaries found that nine out of 10 private sector-defined benefit schemes are now closed to new entrants and four out of 10 prevent existing staff building up further benefits.
Unilever previously said its UK pension arrangements had to reflect realities if they were going to be sustainable into the future. In a statement, Unilever said it was “deeply concerned by the disproportionate action” of the trade unions. “We believe the provision of final salary pensions is a broken model which is no longer appropriate for Unilever. The pension arrangements which we plan to implement in July this year are exceptionally competitive. It is currently not clear how the dispute with the trade unions will be resolved – but we are continuing to urge our employees who have participated in industrial action to give further objective consideration to the very competitive new arrangements.”
(The Guardian, January 7, 2012)
STUDENTS PLAN FRESH WAVE OF PROTESTS
Student movement will follow last year’s demonstrations with series of actions in step with trade union strikes
Student leaders who organised a series of mass demonstrations that saw tens of thousands of young people take to the streets last year are planning a fresh wave of protests. Students from across the UK will descend on London for a national demonstration in November, before staging a series of walkouts and occupations to coincide with the biggest wave of trade union strike action since 1926 at the end of the month.
Veterans of last year’s demonstrations say there is a growing anger among students and young people about the government’s plans for higher education and the axing of the education maintenance allowance (EMA). They predict this year’s protests could be the biggest yet.
“The student movement has grown up a lot in the last year,” said Michael Chessum from the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts. “There are now dozens of networks and thousands of good activists, and many of last year’s school students will have come to university this year with the intention of being politically active. We’re looking to build a sustainable and democratic movement.”
Students say they are working more closely with trade unions in the fight against the government’s austerity plans and say the new wave of protests will focus on government plans to “privatise” the university and college system.
Maev McDaid, president of the University of Liverpool Guild of Students, said: "”Students and trade unions gave a massive boost to one another – and this year we will be looking to do the same thing on a bigger scale. It’s fantastic that the unions are now properly standing up to the government and we’ll be right behind them: on pensions and on the welfare state, their fight is ours as well.”
Last year’s student demonstrations saw tens of thousands of young people descend on London in a series of protests about the rise in tuition fees and the drastic cuts to post-16 education. There were outbreaks of violence and more than 180 arrests. Scores of campuses were occupied, some for several months, as the student movement spread across the country.
A student assembly held in London last weekend decided this year’s national demonstration would be on 9 November and would focus on opposition to the government’s higher education white paper.
“The government’s higher education white paper is a threat to what education is in Britain,” said Luke Durigan, education and campaigns officer at University College London union. “It threatens to turn higher education into a chaotic business model driven by false consumer choice – rather than anything resembling social progress.”
Chessum said “barely anyone” believed the government had done the right thing with fees or the EMA, adding: “The coalition is politically and morally bankrupt.” He said that although the government’s proposed rise in tuition fees had gone through, the student demonstrations had politicised a new generation of young people. He added that they hoped to mobilise support from young people in inner-city areas which are being hit hardest by the cuts.
(The Guardian, September 16, 2011)
Letters
Students will join trade union protest
As student campaigners, we fully support the trade union movement’s campaign against austerity, including the biggest wave of strike action since 1926. The government’s plans for universities represent a threat to the very purpose of education, with the poor being priced out of a marketised system of private providers, while school and FE students are being robbed of basic support. The National Campaign against Fees and Cuts has now called a national education demonstration for Wednesday 9 November, and we will organise for a day of mass direct action and walkouts to coincide with the strike. We will not allow this government to abolish the welfare state and destroy our futures.
Strikes, marches and occupations
As students, we support workers and trade unionists in going ahead with their strike action on 30 November. Next Wednesday, on 9 November, students will be marching in London against the government’s higher education white paper, fighting for their right to live in a world where education is a public service, free and accessible to all, and pensions, decent housing, jobs and benefits are not a thing of the past. Within the government’s miserable compromise to the TUC was an attempt to generationally divide the anti-cuts movement: we would draw little comfort from the abolition of decent pensions as most of our members are turning 30. Students and workers must be willing to fight, united, for every inch of the welfare state, and not be swayed by the temptation of tame compromise.
ARE YOU ON STRIKE TODAY? TELL US WHY
The Guardian asked readers to share the reasons why they are striking. See some of their replies, from Cif, Twitter and across the web below.
JAChand: We are striking to protect our pension funds from the raid by this government. More sensible cuts would be to reduce MPs pay and pension entitlements whilst curbing their expenses. As a University lecturer, we are witnessing the erosion of the Higher Education sector and a massive dumbing down of our society as a whole. All of these are worth striking for.
Mae Bee from Leeds: Started today at 8 on the picket lines at Leeds Met. My union isn’t yet on strike although hopefully by Autumn there really will be the season of discontent. Along with many others, I’d taken the day off in solidarity because whilst in the unions, we are also beyond the unions.
By 11 we were a few hundred strong, which is impressive for Leeds. Without – and with no desire for – a police presence, we took the roads and strolled down past an enthusiastic public into town to meet a larger crowd at the main square. “What did we achieve?” will be the question asked. And of course, in terms of Government policy, probably nothing. But this is not where politics lies, nor has it ever been. Instead, today, we all were delighted to see other people in our workplaces, communities, kids groups, schools; we saw each other and connected. These are the ways our bonds are forged, in moments such as these.
islaking: I will be striking because I would like people to be aware of the hard work that teachers do for this country. I do not want to be envied for ‘good salaries’ and ‘good holidays’ but appreciated for what I, and all my colleagues, do every day in teaching the young people of this country so that they can go on and be successful in their own lives and contribute to the economy.
Teachers on strike will not be paid and this should be remembered and recognised as a demonstration of how strongly we feel about our situation.
AL: I am a civil servant striking today. I don’t want to be on strike, the loss of pay next month is going to hit me very hard, and I don’t particularly want to cause other people inconvenience. But I feel it’s necessary to show the government that civil servants are fed up of being deprived of decent pay rises and treated like goats by government and media alike. We accepted a two year pay freeze to help the country out, whilst private sector got an average of a 3% pay rise. We have had our compensation scheme virtually destroyed, are losing jobs all over the place and now are expected to pay 3% extra for a pension. What’s more, that money will not go into the pension but will go to pay for a crisis created by greedy people in the private sector.
I believe everyone should have a good pension, no one should need to rely on benefits when they get old, and I don’t accept that just because private sector employers are allowed to line their own pockets at the expense of their workers. This government has no intention of negotiating in a meaningful way over pensions, it has already stated when these changes are coming in!
penpoints: I’m striking because I see it as common decency. As a society we should be looking at improving our lot together. We should be demanding the right to retire at 60 so we can enjoy some of our lives free from the constraints of the rat race. We should be holding regular debates to lower this age when we can afford it.
I’m striking because the global elite have made our societies full of mass inequality. I think this makes society unstable and is the potential flashpoint for conflict. I am striking for a fairer, more humane society and one that is based on long-term peace.
burningbush: I am striking tomorrow and will for the first time in my life be marching. For me this is not just about pensions, it is an opportunity for me to demonstrate that my values do not match those of the government. My integrity and sense of what is important is very much in focus. This government knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing. It is people and their dignity that must be at the forefront of government policy. Good luck to the strikers and there supporters tomorrow...
(The Guardian, June 30, 2011)
An Extract from ‘NICE WORK’
Read an extract from the book ‘Nice Work’ by David Lodge. What is the characters’ attitude to strikes and why?
Characters:
Victor Wilcox – Managing Director of an engineering company
Robyn Penrose – a young university lecturer in English Literature who is in a ‘Shadow Scheme’ to study business and industrial practices
‘Have a seat.’ Wilcox indicated an armchair drawn up at an angle to his desk. He pressed a button on a console and said, ‘Two coffees, please, Shirley.’ Then he sat down and lit a cigarette. ‘Haven’t we met before?’ he said.
‘Not that I’m aware of.’
‘I’ve a feeling I’ve seen you recently.’
‘I can’t imagine where that would be.’
Wilcox continued to stare at her through a cloud of smoke.
‘I’m sorry I’m a bit late,’ Robyn said. ‘The roads were terrible, and I got lost.’
‘You’re a week late,’ he said. ‘I was expecting you last Wednesday.’
‘I’m sorry,’ she said to Wilcox. ‘It was a bit chaotic at the University last Wednesday. We had a one-day strike on, you see.’
‘That’s where I saw you!’ he exclaimed, pointing a finger at her like a gun. ‘I drive past there every day on my way to work. I was held up last Wednesday. Put two minutes on my journey time. You were standing outside University gates at about eight o’clock in the morning. You were holding a banner.’ He pronounced this last word as if it denoted something unpleasant.
‘Yes, I was picketing.’
What fun it has been! Stopping cars and thrusting leaflets through the drivers’ windows, turning back lorries, waving banners for the benefit of local TV cameras, cheering when the truck driver decided not to cross the picket line, sharing the warm glow of camaraderie with colleagues one had never met before…
‘What were you striking about? Pay?’
‘Partly. That and the cuts.’
‘You want no cuts and more pay?’
‘That’s right.’
‘Think the country can afford it?’
‘Certainly,’ said Robyn. ‘If we spent less on defence – ’
‘This company has several defence contracts,’ said Wilcox. ‘If those contracts were cancelled, I’d have to lay off men. Your cuts would become ours.’
‘You could make something else,’ said Robyn. ‘Something peaceful.’
‘What?’
‘I can’t say what you should make,’ said Robyn irritably. ‘It’s not my business.’
‘No, it’s mine.’
At that moment his secretary came into the room with two cups of coffee, shooting curious glances at each of them. When she had gone, Wilcox said, ‘Who were you trying to hurt?’
‘Hurt?’
‘A strike has to hurt someone. The employers, the public. Otherwise it has no effect.’
Robyn was about to say, ‘The Government,’ when she saw the trap: Wilcox would find it easy enough to argue that the Government had not been troubled by the strike. Nor had the general public been greatly inconvenienced. The Students’ Union had supported the strike, and its members had not complained about a day’s holiday from lectures. The University? But the University wasn’t responsible for the cuts of lecturers’ salaries. Faster than a computer, Robyn’s mind reviewed these candidates for the target of the strike and rejected them all. ‘It was only a one-day strike,’ she said at length. ‘More of a demonstration, really. We got a lot of support from other trade unions. Several lorry-drives refused to cross the picket lines.’
‘What were they doing – delivering stuff? And who paid for the extra deliveries? I’ll tell you who,’ he went on when she did not answer. ‘Your University – which you say is short of cash. It’s even shorter now.’
‘You keep bringing everything back to money.’
‘That’s what you learn from business. D’you know much about business?’
‘Nothing at all. But isn’t that supposed to be the point of the Shadow Scheme?’
‘I guess it’s a PR trick... I read in the paper somewhere, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Someone always has to pick up the bill.’
‘They cut our salaries,’ said Robyn. ‘They can pay for the lorries out of that... Do you have many strikes here?’ she asked, in an effort to shift the focus of conversation.
‘Not any more,’ said Wilcox. ‘The employees know which side their bread is buttered. They look around this area, they see factories that have closed in the past few years, they know how many people are out of work.’
‘You mean, they’re afraid to strike?’
‘Why should they strike?’
‘I don’t know – but if they wanted to. For higher wages, say?’
‘This is a very competitive industry. A strike would plunge us deep into the red. The division could close down. The men know that!’